She Saw Two Pending $185 Charges After the Salon’s Register Froze, and When Staff Couldn’t Tell Her if Either Went Through, She Left
A woman was one of the last customers at her hair salon one evening, with two other clients still finishing up. When she went to pay her $185 bill, the register started acting up.
Twice her card showed as approved before the system froze, and her banking app showed two pending charges. After about 30 minutes of waiting while the staff tried to sort it out, she walked out, and now she’s wondering if she was wrong to leave without paying.
Last Appointment of the Day
She arrived late in the day, and the salon was getting ready to close. Two other customers were still in their chairs.
Her appointment went smoothly. She was happy with the service and ready to head home. The bill came to $185, including the service. She planned to add a tip for her stylist when paying.
Register Problems at Checkout
When she went to check out, her stylist had trouble with the register. She called over a manager for help.
The manager got it working again. The woman paid with her card and added a tip.
She knew the salon’s system sometimes had small glitches. She stayed patient and waited.
Approved, Then Frozen
The screen said “approved,” then froze. The staff wondered whether it was an internet issue. They restarted the system and tried again. She asked if they took Zelle, but they said no.
On the second attempt, she scanned her card and added the tip again. Once more, the screen showed “approved” before freezing.
Two Pending Charges for $185
Neither attempt produced a receipt. The manager believed the payment may have gone through twice.
The woman checked her banking app and saw two pending charges of $185. That meant $370 was tied up in her account.
Pending charges can affect available funds for days. For many people, having an extra $185 held can make it harder to pay other bills.
Wi-Fi Blamed Before Closing
The staff decided the problem was likely the internet. They said the Wi-Fi may have already been shut off for the night.
That confused her. The salon wasn’t closing for another half hour, and two other customers still needed to pay. The manager called her supervisor, who went into the back to check the payment records. The woman kept waiting.
Thirty Minutes Trying to Pay
By now, she’d spent about 20 minutes trying to pay. Then 25 minutes passed.
The manager came back looking unsure. She couldn’t say for certain whether the charges had gone through.
The woman started walking out. She said she’d already paid twice and would dispute the second charge if needed.
Neither Charge Went Through
Just then, the supervisor came out with a printout. He said neither charge had actually gone through.
She asked what they planned to do next. She didn’t want to keep standing there while they figured out their system.
The supervisor suggested restarting the system again, but the manager said they’d already tried. By then, 30 minutes had passed.
Leaving Without Paying, Including the Tip
The woman left. She said she wasn’t going to be held hostage by their system problems.
She feels most guilty about her stylist’s tip. The salon doesn’t take Zelle, she didn’t have cash, and the card machine wasn’t working, so she’s left wondering whether walking out was fair, or whether she should have stayed until there was a way to make sure everyone, especially her stylist, got paid.
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